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Kit

Snowkit is a young kit of Speckletail's and is also her last kit. He is with the Clan when they flee from the fire in the camp. Fireheart carries him, but is handed to Whitestorm a few times.

Brackenfur mentions to Fireheart that he has noticed Snowkit behaving a little strangely, and when Fireheart is a bit suspicious, Brackenfur admits that he would like to be Snowkit's mentor when he is six moons old.

Fireheart agrees, and while Brackenfur continues to observe Snowkit, he also suggests that they should have Cinderpelt check on the kit and see if there is something wrong with him, although he mentions to be wary of Speckletail, as she is fiercely protective of her kit.

Cinderpelt visits the nursery and watches Snowkit play with the other kits for a short time. Bramblekit holds down Snowkit with his claws, and Snowkit squeals, appearing to not be defending himself. Fireheart snaps at Bramblekit, and Goldenflower makes Bramblekit apologize. Tawnykit says that Snowkit is no fun at all, and never has any good games.

Cinderpelt tells Speckletail that she wants to test Snowkit. When Speckletail reluctantly allows her, Cinderpelt asks her to go a short distance away and call out his name, but Snowkit doesn't acknowledge the comment. Speckletail does so, while beckoning with her tail, and Snowkit walks over to his mother.

Then Cinderpelt asks Fireheart to go behind Snowkit and call out his name without moving. When he does this, Snowkit does not respond to the calls until Speckletail nudges him in Fireheart's direction. Cinderpelt tells her that Snowkit is deaf. Speckletail snaps that she knew all along the kit was deaf because she was his mother.

Dappletail comments that cats with the color of his pelt and his eye color are often deaf. She knows this because a kit of hers was deaf and had the white pelt and blue eye color. Speckletail denies that her kit can't train as a warrior.
Snowkit is Speckletail's last kit before she retires from being a queen and becomes an elder, so she is determined to see Snowkit become a normal apprentice.

She takes matters into her own paws by trying to mentor Snowkit herself, but he only begins playing and pawing at his mother. However, she still is in denial of her son's disability, and devotes all of her time to him.

Later, a hawk flies over the camp looking for prey. While all the other queens rush their kits into the safety of the nursery, Snowkit is playing out in the middle of the camp, oblivious and deaf to his Clanmates' warnings. Speckletail cannot get to him in time to bring him to the nursery herself.

The hawk swoops down and picks up Snowkit in its talons. Speckletail clings onto the hawk and rakes it with her claws to try to stop it, but is thrown off, and the hawk flies away with Snowkit.

Speckletail is devastated, even though there was a chance the hawk would maybe drop Snowkit. A patrol consisting of Swiftpaw and Brackenfur is sent out to retrieve him if the hawk should drop him, but they lost track of the hawk and returned without the kit. Bluestar, already in a state of mental turmoil after Tigerstar's treachery and the forest fire, sees this as a sign that StarClan is definitely at war with ThunderClan, shocking the whole Clan.

When it is clear that Snowkit isn't coming back, Speckletail goes mad with grief and is watched over by Sandstorm, Lostface, and Cinderpelt, before finally coming to terms with her loss and joining the elders' den.